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| THE NEW YORK LIBERTY QUEST FOR THE CHAMPIONSHIP |
| LET'S GO LIBERTY! |
Liberty Sweep Mystics in First Round Playoffs
Liberty WIN Eastern Conference Finals !
Comets Down Liberty and Win 4th Straight WNBA Title !
On August 8th, for the second consecutive year, the New York Liberty claimed the top spot in the Eastern Conference heading into the WNBA playoffs. By earning the number one seed in the East, the Liberty were slated to face the Washington Mystics in the first round of the playoffs. After beating the Mystics 2 games to none in the first round, the Liberty advanced to face Cleveland in the Eastern Conference Finals. The Liberty lost the Eastern Conference opener, but came back to win the next two games and the series to become the Eastern Conference Champions! The Liberty were set to play the defending three-time WNBA Champion Houston Comets again, and lost a hard fought series in the 2000 WNBA Finals 2 games to none.
Liberty - WNBA Finals Schedule vs. Houston Comets
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| Game | Date | Place | Time | Final | Broadcast |
| Game 1 | Thur./ Aug 24, 2000 | Home | 8:00 pm | L - 59-52 | Lifetime |
| Game 2 | Sat./ Aug 26, 2000 | Away | 1:30 pm | L - 79-73 | ESPN |
* - If Game Is Necessary
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WNBA Finals - Game 1 - Houston at Liberty
The Comets and the Liberty struggled throughout the first half as Houston took a 29-22 lead into the locker room. Both teams emerged from the locker rooms ready to go to battle. As the intensity level began to rise on the court, so too did the volume of the New York crowd. Although the Liberty never held the lead in the game, fans were on the edge of their seats and the Garden was rocking, as the tough New York team closed the gap to 52-50 with only 52.3 seconds left in the game. With the game on the line Houston put the ball in the hands of its veteran all-star, Cynthia Cooper, who drove the lane and made a tough lay-up, as she was fouled, and calmly made her free throw to put the Comets up 55-50 with 26.4 seconds left. Unfortunately for the Liberty and their diehard fans, Houston left the Garden with a 59-52 victory and a one game lead in a best out of three championship series. The series continues Saturday as both teams head to Houston for game 2.
WNBA Finals - Game 2 - Liberty at Houston
A championship game that was a nail bitter to the very end, Game 2 was a close one, as the lead and momentum exchanged sides throughout the contest. The game went down to the wire as Liberty star, Tari Phillips, hit a lay-up with 32 seconds left in the game to put New York up by three. The Liberty, who tried to force a third and final game in the series, were disapointed with 21 seconds left in regulation, as Houston Comet veteran, Cynthia Cooper, hit a three point shot to tie the game at 64. With one last chance to win the game, Liberty forward, Sue Wicks, missed a lay up at the buzzer to send the game into overtime. The Houston Comets outscored the Liberty 15-9 in overtime as both Teresa Weatherspoon and Tari Phillips fouled out of the game. Cynthia Cooper scored 25 points and was named the WNBA Championship Most Valuable Player for the fourth straight year as the Comets won their fourth straight WNBA title.
Liberty - Eastern Conference Championship Schedule vs. Cleveland Rockers
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| Game | Date | Place | Time | Final | Broadcast |
| Game 1 | Thur./ Aug 17, 2000 | Away | 7:00 pm | L - 56-43 | ESPN |
| Game 2 | Sun./ Aug 20, 2000 | Home | 2:00 pm | W - 51-45 | Lifetime |
| Game 3 | Mon./ Aug 21, 2000 | Home | 8:00 pm | W - 81-67 | ESPN |
Eastern Conference Finals - Game 1 - Liberty at Cleveland
New York showed up to the Eastern Conference finals to face an intense Rocker team that was electrified by a very loud Cleveland crowd.
With the fans behind them, the Cleveland Rockers managed to keep every Liberty player but one from scoring in double figures. Tari Phillips, who
was held to only 11 points, and the rest of the New York squad witnessed a style of defense exhibited by their own team, and suffered from a taste of their own medicine.
It seemed as though the Liberty could not start up their offense, and the Cleveland team, who had only won a total of 7 games last season, handed the Liberty a surprising
defeat by a score of 56-43.
Eastern Conference Finals - Game 2 - Cleveland at Liberty
After being embarassed on the road in Cleveland, New York returned home to show the Rockers exactly what it takes to be Eastern Conference champions. In a do or die game,
the Liberty were faced with a must win situation in order to force a tie breaking third game in the series. Starting the game with the defense they are known for, the Liberty
began the game without allowing a single point for more than ten minutes. After a 19-0 start, the Rockers tried to get back into the game and brought the score within eight points
twice in the second half, but only got closer with 8.7 seconds left in the contest. By winning, the Liberty
forced a final game of the series in New York, where they have won 12 in a row, and the Rockers have lost five in a row.
Eastern Conference Finals - Game 3 - Cleveland at Liberty
For the third time in four years, the New York Liberty secured a spot in the WNBA Championships by defeating the Cleveland Rockers in the Eastern Conference Championships.
The Liberty started off the deciding game of the series with an early surge that created a 30-2 run against the Cleveland Rockers. With 8:57 left in the first half, the fired up New York team
mounted a lead of 18 points and showed no signs of fatigue. The New York Liberty were clicking at both ends of the court with Vickie Johnson recording a double-double, and Tamika Whitmore
adding 19 points to the Liberty cause. The Rockers got off to a slow start and were unable to close the gap that New York created early. The Liberty became the 2000 WNBA Eastern Conference
Champions by winning the game, and advanced to face the three-time defending champion Houston Comets.
Liberty - First Round Playoff Schedule vs. Washington Mystics
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| Game | Date | Place | Time | Final | Broadcast |
| Game 1 | Sat./ Aug 12, 2000 | Away | 8:00 pm | W - 72-63 | Lifetime |
| Game 2 | Mon./ Aug 14, 2000 | Home | 8:00 pm | W - 78-57 | ESPN | |
Round 1 - Game 1 - Liberty at Mystics
In the opening game of the 2000 WNBA Playoffs, the New York Liberty showed the Washington Mystics that
experience pays off in the playoffs. New York started the game well, and jumped to a 12-2 lead in the first quarter.
The Liberty dominated the Washington squad in the first half and lead by as many as 18 points, to end the first half with a score of 40-28.
Both Vickie Johnson and Tari Phillips scored 20 points for the Liberty which contributed to the playoff victory. The Mystics fought their way back into the game, and
in the closing minutes of the contest, managed to tie the game. With 3:44 left in the game, and a score of 58-58, Tamika Whitmore scored a basket that put the
Liberty ahead for good. With mistakes leading to turnovers, the Mystics could not establish a comeback, and the game ended with a score of 72-63.
Round 1 - Game 2 - Mystics at Liberty
The game in New York started with Liberty star Tari Phillips singing the national anthem to a sold-out Madison
Square Garden crowd. The Liberty came out of the locker room pumped to play in front of a home crowd and ready to sweep the Washington Mystics in the first
round of the WNBA Playoffs. The team waisted no time and started up right where they had left off in the first game of the series, taking a 12-4 lead early in
the first half. After the half, the Liberty kept up the intensity and did not allow the Mystics to get within 15 points, as Becky Hammon scored 19 points, Tari Phillips
scored 15, and Teresa Weatherspoon recorded 10 assists. The Liberty were on fire all night, and the Mystics had no chance to force a game 3 or avoid being swept by the New York Liberty.
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